Dielman bids farewell in emotional ceremony

Kris Dielman, San Diego Chargers guard pauses during press conference at Chargers Park in Murphy Canyon announcing his retirement from football. The result of a concussion he received on October 23 during a game against the New York Jets.
— Howard Lipin

Kris Dielman, San Diego Chargers guard pauses during press conference at Chargers Park in Murphy Canyon announcing his retirement from football. The result of a concussion he received on October 23 during a game against the New York Jets.
— Howard Lipin

With his young family watching from the side, Kris Dielman officially retired Thursday morning in an uncensored and emotionally raw press conference he had to be coerced into attending.

“I had nine great years,” Dielman said as he stood at the head of the team meeting room at Chargers Park, where a dozen or so teammates, virtually every coach and member of the organization joined in bidding farewell to the popular, salty All-Pro guard. “It just sucks it had to end this way. But it is … I gave everything I have. It ended a little early, but it is the right thing to do.”

Young players such as Ryan Mathews and Louis Vasquez watched in rapt attention as Dielman spoke and answered questions for nearly 20 minutes, likely surpassing the combined total of words he said to the media in nine years. By the end of Dielman’s remarks, even before Philip Rivers choked up while speaking at the podium, teammates could be seen surreptitiously wiping tears from their cheeks.

“I know it ends sooner than he would have (wished),” Rivers said, his voice quivering throughout. “But, gosh, what he did for nine years here is pretty remarkable. It doesn’t happen very often. It’s something to be proud of. I know every guy in here is proud of him and appreciates all he did. We’ll be buddies for a long time.”

By then, Dielman’s wife, Sandy, was using the baby’s blanket to wipe her tear-streaked face.

So, too, steely offensive line coach Hal Hunter’s eyes were red and brimming as he spoke of the player he used to argue with and loves like a son, the man he eventually counseled to not play.

Dielman, 31, decided after months of consideration and consultation with doctors to walk away from football rather than risk further neurological injury.

Dielman suffered a concussion in an Oct. 23 game against the New York Jets and hours later had a gran mal seizure on the team’s flight home. He did not play again.

Dielman was inserted at left guard in the second game of the 2005 season and started all but three of the next 107 games. He was named in 2009 as one of the best 50 Chargers of all time.

Said team President Dean Spanos: “It (retirement) was done for all the right reasons. Health and family mean everything to you. I know it was difficult for you. … Thank you for the last nine years. How much you cared means a lot to everyone in this room.”

Indeed, Thursday’s news conference was a public showing of not just the respect Dielman commanded as a four-time Pro Bowler but as a teammate and man.

“Everyone understands what he did on the field,” Hunter said. “I don’t know if people know how smart he is, what a quality person he is. He’s such a great guy. A lot of that is lost in the translation.”

Dielman’s composure started to crack Thursday as he stood off to the side listening to head coach Norv Turner pay him tribute.

“There’s never been a guy more old school,” Turner said. “… One thing Kris is going to leave with his teammates here is an example of how you play this game.”

Clad in T-shirt, jeans and flip-flops, Dielman began speaking by thanking his teammates, coaches, wife and family.

“This is a celebration,” Dielman said. “It’s been nine years of playing football — extra years. I wasn’t supposed to play after college. I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Spanos family, the Chargers …”

His voice broke, and he bowed his head for several seconds.

“I’ve made some great friends over the years,” he continued, first alluding to center Nick Hardwick, the godfather of his oldest son.

Dielman said it was amazing they were friends since he went to Indiana University and Hardwick to archrival Purdue.

“I hate Purdue,” Dielman said. “I have a picture of them in my urinal.”

He followed with a crass comment, the first of a handful of times Dielman would say something that couldn’t make it verbatim into a newspaper and caused the TV and radio stations carrying the press conference live to make use of their eight-second delay.

Dielman’s emotions hit a hitch every time he spoke of the things he cherished about his time in San Diego.

His quality of life with that family played a large role in his decision to walk away. Dielman was medically cleared to play but could not be assured by doctors that he would not suffer lasting effects such as memory loss, or worse.

“This was my decision,” he said. “Better get out when the getting out is good. It wasn’t worth what would have happened if I’d have kept on playing. … I didn’t want to have problems when I was older. I played a rough style of football. This one got me, and it’s time to move on.”

Asked what advice he would give young football players who were concussed he said. “Take your time. You can judge yourself. … You can judge what you should and shouldn’t do. Use your head, get out, live to play another game.”

Every time he was asked about his injury or its aftermath, he provided an answer but reiterated: ”I’m not here to talk about the concussion.”

He said he would have preferred his retirement was announced simply in a press release and that he came Thursday to say thanks to his friends and teammates.

Dielman, who was due to make $5.5 million in 2012 and could have made as much as $30 million more over the next five or six years, repeatedly expressed awe at how long he lasted in the NFL after signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent defensive lineman.

“I had a blast,” he said. “Nine years. Whew! I wasn’t supposed to make it through the first training camp. Nine years. It feels awesome.”